Relations between France and Rwanda have been acrimonious since the Rwandan genocide nearly a quarter century ago. It came as a surprise, then, when French President Emmanuel Macron and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met Sept. 18 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The leaders used the opportunity to size each other up and to explore areas of agreement. But the 1994 genocide — for which each side blames the other — will continue to haunt the relationship between France and Rwanda for many years to come. Despite their mutual interests, the countries can't seem to get over a brutal moment in their shared history. Sins of the Past The details of France's and Rwanda's actions before, during and after the genocide are still the subject of heated debate more than two decades on.